Adjustable filamentary material guide

ABSTRACT

An adjustable guide apparatus for guiding filamentary material from a reciprocating traverse onto a mandrel of a winding machine to form a coil. The adjustable guide apparatus includes a housing having a collar defining an inlet opening configured to receive filamentary material, and adjustable guides coupled to the housing defining a guide opening between the adjustable guides for passage of the filamentary material from the inlet opening. The apparatus also includes an adjuster configured to adjust relative spacing between the adjustable guides that defines the size of the guide opening.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure relates apparatus used in winding coils of filamentary material. More particularly, this disclosure relates to filamentary material guides for guiding filamentary material as it is being wound into a coil of filamentary material.

2. State of the Art

U.S. Pat. No. 9,731,931 describes a REELEX-type winding system 100 shown in FIG. 1. The system 100 directs filamentary material 110 (e.g., wire) to a traverse 164, shown in greater detail in FIG. 2, which shows a perspective view of the traverse 164 and a mandrel 170 of a take-up unit 116 of system 100. The traverse moves back and forth above the surface of the mandrel 170 as the mandrel 170 is spinning on the spindle 166, thereby causing wire 110 to be directed onto the mandrel 170. The function of the entire system 100 is to cause wire 110 to be wound in a figure-eight pattern in a manner forming a payout hole extending radially out from the mandrel 170. The controller 118 is coupled to the take-up system 116 and can provide speed control information to direct the take-up system 116 to run at a desired rate. For example, the controller 118 may direct the take-up system 116 to cause the spindle 166 to run at a constant speed, or may cause the take-up system 116 to have the line speed be constant, thereby requiring the spindle speed to slow down over a period of time.

The traverse 164 is formed as a cantilevered beam 164 a having a longitudinal slot (not shown) through which a guide tube 164 b extends. Guide tube 164 b terminates in a wire guide 164 c which is located closest to the mandrel 170. The wire 110 is threaded through the guide tube 164 b and exits the wire guide 164 c. The guide tube 164 b travels in (i.e., reciprocates in) the longitudinal slot of the beam 164 a at desired speeds and along desired distances as controlled by the take-up system 116 as optionally informed by the controller 118 in order to form the figure-eight pattern in a manner forming a payout hole.

In winding a figure-eight coil of wire, an end of the wire 110 is captured by the mandrel 170, and the mandrel is spun by the spindle 166 as the traverse 164 reciprocates and guides the wire onto the mandrel in a figure-eight pattern with a payout hole.

SUMMARY

In order to form a well-formed coil the wire must be laid down with precision as the traverse reciprocates and as the mandrel rotates. The position of the traverse is controlled to precisely place wire leaving the wire guide 164 c at predefined positions at predefined times. However, if the wire passing through the wire guide 164 c is free to move laterally (i.e., horizontally) relative to the wire guide 164 c, the location at which the wire is actually being laid down may not be at the intended location, resulting in a coil that is not as well-formed as it could be. To improve the formation of the coil, an adjustable filamentary guide apparatus (i.e., a wire guide) is described herein that can limit the relative lateral movement between the apparatus and the filamentary material being dispensed from the apparatus.

According to one aspect, further details of which are described herein, an adjustable filamentary material guide apparatus for guiding filamentary material from a reciprocating traverse onto a mandrel of a winding machine to form a coil includes a housing having a collar defining an inlet opening configured to receive filamentary material (e.g., from a cable guide), adjustable guides coupled to the housing defining a guide opening between the adjustable guides for passage of the filamentary material, and an adjuster configured to adjust relative spacing between the adjustable guides. A user can adjust the size of the guide opening to closely match the size (e.g., diameter) of the filamentary material being wound to reduce the amount of relative lateral movement of the filamentary being dispensed from the guide apparatus.

In embodiments, the inlet opening axially aligns in a vertical direction with the guide opening. In embodiments, the adjustable guides are configured to simultaneously move toward or away from one another by operation of the adjuster. In embodiments, the adjustable guides include rollers.

In embodiments, the adjustable guides extend along parallel axes that lie in a horizontal plane that is perpendicular to a vertical path for filamentary material that extends axially between the inlet opening and the guide opening.

In embodiments, the adjuster includes a threaded adjuster screw extending through aligned threaded bores formed in the adjustable guides. The threaded adjuster screw extends along a screw axis and the adjustable guides are configured to translate (e.g., simultaneously) either toward or away from one another along the screw axis depending on a direction of rotation of the screw about the screw axis.

In embodiments, the adjustable guide apparatus further includes non-adjustable guides that are coupled to the housing in fixed spaced relation to one another and that extend along respective axes that are perpendicular to the axes of the adjustable guides. The adjuster guides are disposed vertically between the non-adjustable guides and the collar of the housing.

In embodiments, the collar is configured for coupling to a reciprocating traverse that is operable to reciprocate the adjustable guide apparatus as filamentary material is drawn through the guide opening onto a mandrel of a winding machine.

In embodiments, the adjustable guide apparatus further includes an adjustment ring having a neck threadably coupled to the collar of the housing. The neck has an annular bearing surface on a bottom side of the neck. The adjuster includes a pair of opposed arms pivotally coupled to the housing at an intermediate location along the length of each arm. Each arm has an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion extends from the intermediate location to a cam surface configured to bear against the annular bearing surface of the neck. The lower portion is pivotally coupled to one of the adjustable guides. Threading the adjustment ring relative to the collar adjusts the position of the cam surfaces along the annular bearing surface, and, thus adjusts the angular position of the lower portion about the intermediate position, which in turn, adjusts the relative spacing between the adjustable guides for passage of the filamentary material therebetween.

In embodiments, the adjustable guide apparatus further includes biasing members. Each biasing member is coupled between the housing and respective lower portion. The biasing members are configured to urge the opposed arms and the adjustable guides in a direction towards one another. The biasing members may be springs.

In embodiments, interference between the cam surfaces and the annular bearing surface inhibit movement of the adjustable guides towards each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a prior art schematic of an embodiment of a REELEX-type winding system.

FIG. 2 is a prior art perspective view of the traverse and mandrel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an adjustable guide apparatus in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are assembly views of the apparatus of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the apparatus of FIG. 3 shown in a first, fully open position and shown with a wire between rollers of the apparatus.

FIG. 7. is a bottom view of the apparatus of FIG. 3 shown in a second, closed position with two rollers of the apparatus in contact with a wire between the rollers.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the apparatus of FIG. 3 shown in a third, operating position with only one roller of apparatus in contact with a wire between the rollers.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are perspective views of another embodiment of an adjustable guide apparatus viewed from a bottom and sides thereof.

FIG. 9C shows a top view of the adjustable guide apparatus of FIGS. 9A and 9B.

FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C are, respectively, elevation views of the left side, front side, and right side of the guide apparatus of FIGS. 9A and 9B.

FIG. 11 is an assembly view of the guide apparatus of FIGS. 9A and 9B.

FIG. 12 shows the adjustable guide apparatus of FIGS. 9A and 9B along section FIG. 12-FIG. 12 in FIG. 9C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 3 to 5 show aspects of an embodiment of an adjustable guide apparatus 200 that can be used in place of guide 164 c of prior art FIG. 2. The wire guide includes a housing 202, a pair of adjustable rollers 204, a threaded adjustment screw 206 for adjusting the relative spacing between the rollers 204 along the screw 206, an adjustment roller track 208 for supporting and guiding the adjustable rollers 204, and a pair of guides 210. The rollers 204 extend along respective axes A-A and B-B (FIG. 4) and are axisymmetric. Specifically, the rollers 204 have a generally symmetrical concave profile along their respective axes A-A and B-B. The opposed concave profiles of the rollers defines an opening 201 between the rollers 204 through which filamentary material is received from an opening 203 in the housing (in communication with the guide tube 164 b). The opening 201 may be centered with the opening 203 along a central longitudinal axis G-G (FIG. 5) extending through the apparatus 200. The width of the opening 201 is adjustable to account for different thickness (e.g., diameters) of filamentary material. Specifically, the wire guide 200 includes an arrangement that is configured to adjust the relative spacing between the rollers 204 to adjust the size of the opening 201. The guides 210 have a fixed spacing between them. The guides 210 are configured to further guide filamentary material passing from the opening 201 towards the mandrel 170.

The rollers 204, the screw 206, the track 208, and the guides 210 are coupled to the housing 202. In the specific embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the screw 206 is coupled to the housing 202 at holes 202 c formed in the housing 200. The screw 206 and the track 208 extend along respective parallel axes C-C and D-D. The track 208 has ends 208 a (FIG. 5) that fixedly couple to the housing 202 at holes 202 b formed in the housing 200. The guides 210 have ends 210 a (FIG. 5) that fixedly couple to the housing 202 at holes 202 a formed in the housing 200. Each guide 210 may have a roller 210 b between the ends 210 a that is configured to rotate about a respective longitudinal axis E-E and F-F (FIG. 5), although this is not a requirement.

In the embodiment shown, the rollers 204 are free to rotate about respective axes A-A and B-B, which are which are transverse to axes C-C, D-D, E-E, and F-F. Each roller 204 has a central elongated shaft 204 a (FIG. 5) having a first through bore 204 b (FIG. 4) at a first end for coupling to the track 208 and has a second through bore 204 c (FIG. 4) at a second, opposite end for coupling to the screw 206. The first through bore 204 b of each roller 204 is aligned with axis D-D so that track 208 extends through through bores 204 b of both shafts 204 a. The first through bore 204 b is configured for relative sliding movement with the track 208. The second through bore 204 c is female threaded and is aligned with axis C-C for mating with male threads of the screw 206. The screw 206 threads with and extends through the through bores 204 c of both shafts 204 a.

In the embodiment shown, the screw 206 is configured as an adjuster screw with at least one head 206 a and left hand threads 206 b on one half (e.g., left half in FIG. 4) of the screw and right hand threads 206 c on the other half (e.g., right half in FIG. 4) of the screw 206. Due to the thread configuration of the screw 206, a rotation of the head 206 a of the screw 206 in one rotational direction about screw axis C-C will cause both of the rollers 204 to either simultaneously move toward or away from one another along screw 206 and track 208. Thus, in operation, a user can adjust the width of opening 201 between the rollers 204 by rotating the head 206 a of the screw 206 about its axis C-C either clockwise or counter-clockwise. In this manner, a user can set a specific spacing between the rollers 204 that more closely matches the diameter of the filamentary material passing through the apparatus 200, which can result in a coil that is more well-formed as compared to an a spacing of the rollers 204 that does not closely match the diameter of the filamentary material. As an alternative, instead of a single adjuster screw 206, two screws having opposite pitch threads may be used.

The apparatus 200 is adjustable and can be set by a user for filamentary material of different thicknesses (i.e., diameter). FIGS. 6 to 8 show various steps of a workflow of adjusting the apparatus 200 for a filamentary material of a specific thickness. If the rollers 204 are close together, a user turns the head 206 a of the adjustment screw 206 in a first rotational direction to spread the rollers 204 sufficiently apart as shown in FIG. 6 to permit a filament 250 to easily enter the opening 201. A user can use any tool made for the screw head 206 a, such as, for example, an Allen wrench or flat head screwdriver. In the position of rollers 204 shown in FIG. 6, the opening 201 is wide enough so that the filament 250 can fit in opening 201 without touching either roller 204. Next, a user rotates the head 206 a of the screw 206 in a second rotational direction, opposite the first direction, to close the rollers 204 so that both rollers 204 contact (e.g., gently squeeze) the filament 250 in the opening 201, as shown in FIG. 7. Then, a user rotates the head 206 a of the screw back in the first rotational direction (e.g., one or two rotations) to back the rollers 204 off the filament 250 and widen the opening 201 so that the filament 250 contacts only one or the other of the rollers 204, but does not contact both rollers 204, as shown in FIG. 8.

FIGS. 9A to 12 show aspects of another embodiment of an adjustable guide apparatus 300. The guide apparatus 300 has a housing 302 with a collar 302 a that defines an opening 303 (FIGS. 9C, 12), which is configured to communicates with the guide tube 164 b. The housing 302 houses an arrangement of adjustable guides 304 and guides 310 that define an opening 301 (FIGS. 9C, 10B, 12) through which filamentary material is guided between the guide tube 164 b and the mandrel 170. The opening 301 aligns with the opening 303 along central longitudinal axis H-H (FIG. 12) that extends through the center of the guide apparatus 300.

The adjustable guides 304 and guides 310 may be roller guides that extend along respective longitudinal axes. The longitudinal axes of guides 304 and 310 may be perpendicular to one another, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. The guides 310 are supported by plates 330 that are connected to the left and right sides of the housing 302. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, each guide 310 may have a shaft 310 a surrounded by a roller 310 b that can rotate about the shaft 310 a. The ends of the shaft 310 a are configured to be received in holes 330 a formed in the plates 330. The guides 310 may be disposed by the plates 330 below the rollers 304, as shown most clearly in FIG. 10B. When the guides 310 are connected to the plates 330, the spacing between the guides 310 remains fixed.

The guide apparatus 300 also includes an adjustment ring 320 that couples to the rim 302 a of the housing 302. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9A to 12, the ring 320 has a neck 322 having male threads 322 a that are configured to mate with female threads on the inside surface of the collar 302 a of the housing 302. The adjustment ring 320 is coaxial with the housing 302 along axis H-H. The adjustment ring 320 defines an internal open bore 305 (FIG. 12) in communication with the collar 302 a. The neck 322 extends downward to an annular bearing surface 322 b or rim on the bottom side of the neck 322. The annular bearing surface 322 b is configured to bear against cam surfaces 324 c of arms 324.

Each arm 324 defines a hole 324 d (FIGS. 11 and 12) that receives a pin 326 that pivotally couples the arm 324 to the housing 302. The hole 324 d is at an intermediate location between an upper and a lower end of the arm 324. Each arm 324 has an upper portion 324 a between the hole 324 d and the cam surface 324 c, and a lower portion 324 b between the hole 324 d and the roller 304. The upper and lower portion 324 a and 324 b do not extend parallel to each other. Instead, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the upper portion 324 b is angled inwardly toward central axis H-H. Thus, when vertically directed forces are exerted on the cam surfaces 324 c from the annular bearing surface 322 b (such as by threading the ring 320 into the collar 302 a), the forces will exert a torque on the arms 324 about pivotal connection at intermediate position 326 tending to spread the lower portions 324 b apart (i.e., away from axis H-H), thereby increasing the size of opening 301.

Once the annular bearing surface 322 b is set to a specific axial position relative to the collar 302 a, the interference between the cam surfaces 324 c and the annular bearing surface 322 b sets a certain spacing between the opening 301 between the rollers 304. The interference prevents the opening 301 from decreasing. Thus, the set initial size of the opening 301 can be considered a minimum size of the opening 301. However, even after the ring 320 is set into position, the interference between cam surfaces 324 c and annular bearing surface 322 b does not prevent the arms 324 from rotating about the intermediate position 326 to enlarge the opening 301 between the rollers 304 beyond the initially set minimum size. This enlargement of the opening 301 between the rollers 304 may be useful in situations where a certain enlarged portion (e.g., a kink, or a splice between cables) of filamentary material that exceeds the initial set minimum size of the opening 301 is directed into the opening 301. In such a situation, the enlarged portion of the filamentary material, as it passes the rollers 304, will urge the lower portions 324 b of the arms 324 radially outward to spread the rollers slightly further apart to permit the enlarged portion to pass, thereby avoiding crushing the enlarged portion and possibly damaging the filamentary material, or causing the filament to break.

The lower portions 324 b may be biased by biasing members (e.g., springs) 328 that extend between the lower portions 324 b of arms 324 and the housing 302. Each arm 324 may have a retainer 324e (FIG. 11) for retaining an end of a biasing member 328 in engagement with the arm 324. The biasing members 328 are configured to urge the lower portions 324 b of the arms 324 radially inwardly toward axis H-H so that, in the example given above, if the rollers 304 temporarily spread apart to permit an enlarged portion to pass, the biasing members 328 will restore the arms 324 back towards their initial set position corresponding to the set minimum opening size of opening 301. Thus, the biasing members 328 permit some amount of temporary self-adjustment of the rollers 304 even after an initial minimum opening 301 size is set.

The apparatus 300 is adjustable and can be set by a user for filamentary material of different thicknesses (i.e., diameter). To set the apparatus 300 for a specific thickness of filamentary material, if the rollers 304 are not already widely spread, a user can thread (rotate) the ring 320 fully or substantially into collar 302 a (e.g., clockwise) in order to spread rollers 304 substantially apart to set the opening 301 to a large or even maximum size. A user can then feed a filament (e.g., wire) through the bore 305 of the ring 320, through the opening 303, and through the opening 301. Then, a user can thread (rotate) the ring 320 out of collar 302 a (e.g., counterclockwise) to permit the lower portions 324 b of the arms 324 to rotate toward axis H-H due to the force on the arms 324 from springs 328. This will move the rollers 304 toward the central axis H-H and into contact with the filamentary material, lightly squeezing the material. Then, the user can thread (rotate) the ring 320 into the collar 302 a (e.g., clockwise) again until the opening 301 is large enough for the filamentary material to contact only one or the other of the rollers 304, but does not contact both rollers 304.

There have been described and illustrated herein several embodiments of an adjustable guide for filamentary material. While particular embodiments have been described, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto, as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Thus, while particular arrangements for connecting various elements have been disclosed, it will be appreciated that other suitable arrangements can be used as well. It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as claimed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An adjustable guide apparatus for guiding filamentary material from a reciprocating traverse onto a mandrel of a winding machine to form a coil, the guide comprising: a housing having a collar defining an inlet opening configured to receive filamentary material; adjustable guides coupled to the housing defining a guide opening between the adjustable guides for passage of the filamentary material from the inlet opening; and an adjuster configured to adjust relative spacing between the adjustable guides.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the inlet opening axially aligns in a vertical direction with the guide opening.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the adjustable guides are configured to simultaneously move toward or away from one another by operation of the adjuster.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the adjustable guides include rollers.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: the rollers extend along parallel axes that lie in a horizontal plane.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: the adjustable guides include two rollers.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the adjuster includes a threaded adjuster screw extending through aligned threaded bores formed in the adjustable guides, wherein the threaded adjuster screw extends along a screw axis and wherein the adjustable guides are configured to translate either toward or away from one another along the screw axis depending on a direction of rotation of the screw.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: non-adjustable guides extending along axes perpendicular to the axes of the adjustable guides, wherein the adjustable guides are disposed vertically between the non-adjustable guides and the collar.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the collar is configured for coupling to the reciprocating traverse operable to reciprocate the apparatus as filamentary material is drawn through the guide opening onto the mandrel of the winding machine.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an adjustment ring having a neck threadably coupled to the collar of the housing, the neck having an annular bearing surface on a bottom side of the neck, wherein the adjuster includes a pair of opposed arms pivotally coupled to the housing at an intermediate location along the length of each arm, each arm having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion extending to a cam surface configured to bear against the annular bearing surface, the lower portion pivotally coupled to one of the adjustable guides at or near a lower end of the arm, wherein threading the adjustment ring into or out of the collar causes the spacing between the adjustable guides to change.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: biasing members, each biasing member coupled between the housing and respective lower portion, the biasing member configured to urge the opposed arms and the adjustable guides in a direction towards one another.
 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: the biasing members are springs.
 13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: interference between the cam surfaces and the annular bearing surface inhibit movement of the adjustable guides towards each other.
 14. A method of setting the adjustable guide apparatus according to claim 1 for guiding filamentary material from a reciprocating traverse onto a mandrel of a winding machine to form a coil of a filamentary material, the method comprising: ensuring that the relative spacing between the adjustable guides causes the guide opening to be larger than a thickness of the filamentary material; introducing the filamentary material through the guide opening; with the filamentary material disposed in the guide opening, reducing the relative spacing between the adjustable guides until the adjustable guides contact the filamentary material; and after the adjustable guides contact the filamentary material, increasing the relative spacing between the adjustable guides until the filamentary material contacts only one of the adjustable guides.
 15. A method of setting the adjustable guide apparatus according to claim 7 for guiding filamentary material from a reciprocating traverse onto a mandrel of a winding machine to form a coil of a filamentary material, the method comprising: ensuring that the relative spacing between the adjustable guides is such that the guide opening is larger than a thickness of the filamentary material; introducing the filamentary material through the guide opening; with the filamentary material disposed in the guide opening, rotating the screw about the screw axis in a first direction to reduce the relative spacing between the adjustable guides until the adjustable guides contact the filamentary material; and after the adjustable guides contact the filamentary material, rotating the screw about the screw axis in a second direction opposite the first direction to increase the relative spacing between the adjustable guides until the filamentary material contacts only one of the adjustable guides.
 16. A method of setting the adjustable guide apparatus according to claim 11 for guiding filamentary material from a reciprocating traverse onto a mandrel of a winding machine to form a coil of a filamentary material, the method comprising: ensuring that the relative spacing between the adjustable guides is such that the guide opening is larger than a thickness of the filamentary material; introducing the filamentary material through the guide opening; with the filamentary material disposed in the guide opening, threading the adjustment ring out of the collar to reduce the relative spacing between the adjustable guides until the adjustable guides contact the filamentary material; and after the adjustable guides contact the filamentary material, threading the adjustment ring into the collar to increase the relative spacing between the adjustable guides until the filamentary material contacts only one of the adjustable guides. 